How Things Were
by Chelocean22
Summary: A short story where Stiles and Lydia have a talk.


Lydia Martin sat outside during her free period. An old book was laid out on the lunch table in front of her. She flipped through the pages, desperate to find answers for Deputy Parrish. As he crossed her mind, she stopped flipping. She looked up at the blue sky, mumbling, "What am I doing?" True, she and Parrish were getting close, but she didn't know where she stood with him and she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out. It seemed that everyone around her had someone to share their time with. And she wasn't sure if she had actually developed some sort of feelings for the deputy or if this was a relationship of convenience. She wondered if she felt the same way about Parrish that Scott felt for Kira or Stiles for Malia. Lydia felt her mouth twitch at the thought of Stiles. She had started to see him differently. They had been through so much together that it was impossible not to. But she knew that he was happy with how things were now.

Stiles Stilinski decided to step outside for some fresh air. He and Malia were in a weird place and he wasn't sure how to fix it. It seemed like their main cores were different. Malia was still too much like a coyote and he was painfully human. At first he felt like these differences were what made them stronger, but with everything that had been happening lately, he wasn't so sure of that anymore. Now it seemed like their differences would tear them apart. Stiles wished that he and Malia had something in common, something they could bond over like Lydia and Parrish. Oh God, Lydia. As her image entered his mind, he felt his mouth go dry. He never in a million years thought that their relationship would be what it is today. He wondered if things would ever go further, but then he was struck with the thought of Deputy Parrish. Lydia was happy with him. He was everything she was looking for, wasn't he? Out of the corner of his eye he saw a head of strawberry blonde hair. He stopped in his tracks and stared at her for a minute. She was alone, pouring herself over an old book. He smiled. Just when he was ready to walk on he noticed her tilt her head to the sky. Stiles made his way over, "Penny for your thoughts?"

She jumped and snapped her head towards him, "Oh, it's you."

He scuffed the toe of his shoes in the dirt, "Expecting someone else?" She shook her head and offered him a seat. He declined, "Just wanted to see if you were okay."

She nodded, "Just been thinking."

Stiles stuffed his hands into the front pocket of his jeans, "Want to tell me about it?"

Looking away from him, she sighed, "I don't think I should." Stiles nodded and she looked back at him, "I've just been wondering about Parrish."

His voice was strained, she noticed, "Ah, I see. Big plans with him tonight?"

"No. Honestly I was wondering what we were." She looked up at Stiles, "Parrish and I." She looked down, "And then I wondered about you and me."

Stiles gulped, "What about you and me?"

"Just everything that we'd gone through lately. It's hard to ignore."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that myself. Sometimes I wonder…"

Lydia shook her head, "What about Malia?"

Stiles looked away, "I love Malia, but things are…weird with us right now." He looked back at her, his eyes boring into hers.

Sighing, she spoke, "I think you and Malia are good together. You shouldn't give up on her yet."

Stiles frowned, "Yeah. Yeah, you should, uh, give Parrish a chance."

"I don't know. I don't think we'd work. He's…you know, he's…" Not you, she thought. Finally she settled with, "He isn't right."

Stiles nodded, "Do you think I could have been right?"

She sighed and gave him a sad smile, "You're over me."

His gaze never wavered, "I could never be over you."

She looked back at him, feeling completely lost, "I…" The words fell flat and she fiddled with a loose string on her sweater. When had that gotten there?

Stiles looked down at the ground and then back at her eyes, "Well what about you? I thought you were done with high school boys?"

A ghost of a smile graced her lips as she stared into his eyes, "I could never be done with you." She stood up and walked away from the table, ready to go back to how things were.


End file.
